Ammunition

ABSTRACT

Ammunition cartridge cases for guns in which the combustion chamber is larger in diameter than the gun tube. Upon consumption of the propellant charge the cartridge shell collapses to a size smaller than the gun tube diameter for ejection through the gun tube or muzzle with the attached base which has its own gas generating means.

United States Patent Nimylowycz 1 Jan. 23, 1973 1 AMMUNITION 3,485,170 12/1969 Scanlon ..102/43 P [75] inventor: Osyp Nimylowycz, Philadelphia, Pa. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [731 Assignee: The Uniied States America, as 826,272 1/1938 France ..102 43 R represented y the Secretary of the 837,062 11/1938 France Army 1,449,850 7/1966 France ..l02/DlG. 1 2] F ed: May 7, 9 0 595,293 12/1947 Great Bntam ..lO2/38 [21] Primary Examiner-Robert F. Stahl Appl. No.: 35,374

Attorney-Harry M. Saragovitz, Edward J. Kelly, Herbert Berl and S, Dubroff [52] US. Cl. ..l02/38, 102/40, 102/43 P [51] Int. Cl ..F42b 5/30 57 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search ..102/44, 43, 43 P, 43 F, 38;

89/1 F Ammunition cartr1dge cases for guns 1n wh1ch the combustion chamber is larger in diameter than the Y gun tube. Upon consumption of the propellant charge [56] References Cited the cartridge shell collapses to a size smaller than the UNITED STATES PATENTS gun tube diameter for ejection through the gun tube or muzzle with the attached base which has its own Logan at al gas generaing means 601,902 4/1898 Oliver ...102/43 R 3,120,151 2/1964 Jasse ..89/1 F 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 23 13 D II 27 11B 11C 2O 0 0 c: 0 B Q 5 1\\ 51 Ev l \l l 7: J 24 0 lfi fiv ef' 011" 4 a l Q) I o or Q 0 c 6 "0 11A ,A0 1J g M a 7 1 gllall 0 1 17 22 lflw n nn 11 0-00 M 0 0 0M]! 000A) al? 8 \0 6 PATENTEUJAN 23 .973

SHEET 1 BF 2 FIG.3.

FIG.2.

BY 2 M3! #444 54% $9 M arroausvs:

INVENTOI; OSYP NIMYLOWYCZ M X PATENTEDJAH 23 I973 SHEET 2 [IF 2 FIG.4.

INVENTOR, OSYP NIMYLOWYCZ BY: fi 1 Mi W 1 pWQ/Arff ATTORNEYS:

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oooooo 26 OOOOOOOO ooooooooc AMMUNITION The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

It is an object of the invention to provide an ammunition cartridge where the removal of the spent cartridge case through an undersized or interfering gun tube requires a substantially lower propelling force or minimum amount of energy..-

Another object of the invention is to provide such a cartridge having means for reducing the shell size after ignition of the propellant charge and means for selfpropelling the spent cartridge through the gun tube or muzzle.

These and other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ammunition cartridge embodying the principles of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional .view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the collapsed shell after ignition of its supporting propellant charge.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified ammunitioncartridge chambered in a gun tube partially shown.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 after ignition of the cartridge propellant charge.

Theammunition round of FIG. I has a metallic cartridge base 11 smaller in diameter than projectile 16, of cylindrical disc form when its split parts IIA and 11B are held in assembled position by nut 1 IC. Base portion 11A carries a centrally located primer 12 for igniting propellant powder charge 13 contained within cylindrical shell 14 which is formed of flexible material such as soft rubber. The forward portion 15 of the shell has an inwardly directed annular taper for appropriate securement to the rearward portion of the projectile 16. The

rearward portion of the shell 14 has an annulus 17 of reverse-bend like configuration by which it is suitably secured to or clamped between portions 11A and 11B of the base 11. A thin pre-stressed spring steel cylinder 18 surrounds a major length of the shell 14 and both the spring and the shell are initially supported by the enclosed charge 13 (FIGS. 1, 2). Upon ignition of the charge 13, and launching of projectile 16 the spring and shell are collapsed (FIG. 3) to a smaller transverse size when the gun pressure decreases, such that the collapsed shell and spring can be ejected forwardly through the gun tube 20 by the gas generating means 21 which preferably is an annulus of slow burning propellant ignited through the ports 23 by burning of charge 13. Gas generator 21 is positioned in an annular cavity 22 defined by appropriate mating recesses of assembled base portions 11A and 11B. Preferably, portion 118 has a circular pattern of circumferentially spaced inlet openings 23 that fluidly communicate Heights, Pa., or Rayclad Tubes Inc.) or a neoprene rubber shell 27 which has substantially the same configuration as the FIG. 1 shell 14. Upon burning of powder charge 13 and subsequent reduction in gun pressure, the hot shell 27 will shrink snugly (FIG. 5)

cavity 22 with the propellant charge 13. Base portion 11A has a similar pattern of exit ports 24 that have a total cross-sectional area greater than the inlets 23.

In the modified ammunition cartridge of FIGS. 4 and 5, similar elements or parts retain their FIG. 1 reference characters. The b'aseportion 11B has an integral forwardly opening tubular portion 11D smaller over the perforated metallic tube portion [ID as the spent cartridge shell and base are ejected forwardly through the gun tube 20 by gas generator 21.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Iclaim:

I. A cartridge case comprising:

a projectile having a predetermined maximum diameter,

a shell of flexible material having a diameter greater than said projectile diameter, a forward portion of said shell being inwardly tapered and secured to a rearward portion of said projectile,

a base having a primer and being of a diameter less than said projectile diameter, a rearward portion of said shell being inwardly directed and secured to said base, and

a propellant charge intermediate said base and projectile for ignition by said primer,

said base having a forwardly opening tubular portion, said tubular portion having a multi-apertured metallic sidewall and a diameter less than said projectile diameter, and said shell being of heat shrinkable plastic material.

2. A cartridge case comprising:

a projectile having a predetermined maximum diameter,

a shell of flexible material having a diameter greate than said projectile diameter, a forward portion of said shell being inwardly tapered and secured to a rearward portion of said projectile,

a metallic base having a primer and being of a diame ter less than said projectile diameter, a rearward portion of said shell being inwardly directed and secured to said base, and

a propellant charge intermediate said base and projectile for ignition by said primer,

said base having a generator cavity and gas generating means therein, said gas generating means including a slow burning propellant charge located in said generator cavity, said base having at least one inlet opening fluidly communicating said gas generating means with said first propellant charge and at least one hermetically sealed exit port, the exit cross-sectional area being larger than said opening cross-sectional area. 7

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said base has a forwardly opening tubular portion having a multi-apertured metallic sidewall and a diameter less than said projectile diameter, and said shell is of heat shrinkable plastic material.

4. The structure in accordance with claim 2 in which an annular portion of said shell is surrounded by a thin pre-stressed spring steel cylinder.

' a: x k 1: 

1. A cartridge case comprising: a projectile having a predetermined maximum diameter, a shell of flexible material having a diameter greater than said projectile diameter, a forward portion of said shell being inwardly tapered and secured to a rearward portion of said projectile, a base having a primer and being of a diameter less than said projectile diameter, a rearward portion of said shell being inwardly directed and secured to said base, and a propellant charge intermediate said base and projectile for ignition by said primer, said base having a forwardly opening tubular portion, said tubular portion having a multi-apertured metallic sidewall and a diameter less than said projectile diameter, and said shell being of heat shrinkable plastic material.
 2. A cartridge case comprising: a projectile having a predetermined maximum diameter, a shell of flexible material having a diameter greater than said projectile diameter, a forward portion of said shell being inwardly tapered and secured to a rearward portion of said projectile, a metallic base having a primer and being of a diameter less than said projectile diameter, a rearward portion of said shell being inwardly directed and secured to said base, and a propellant charge intermediate said base and projectile for ignition by said primer, said base having a generator cavity and gas generating means therein, said gas generating means including a slow burning propellant charge located in said generator cavity, said base having at least one inlet opening fluidly communicating said gas generating means with said first propellant charge and at least one hermetically sealed exit port, the exit cross-sectional area being larger than said opening cross-sectional area.
 3. The structure of claim 2 in which said base has a forwardly opening tubular portion having a multi-apertured metallic sidewall and a diameter less than said projectile diameter, and said shell is of heat shrinkable plastic material.
 4. The structure in accordance with claim 2 in which an annular portion of said shell is surrounded by a thin pre-stressed spring steel cylinder. 